SoftQuad Software Inc. announced the signing of five new XMetaL channel agreements – AGRA Systems Limited, American Computer Innovators Inc., Datalogics Inc., Movement, Inc. and Software AG – that add to SoftQuad’s network of over 70 VARs and OEMs in 13 countries. XMetaL has a familiar word processor-like environment, which makes it a broadly deployable solution that reduces training and implementation costs. XMetaL can increase performance, productivity and stability for users of all skill levels, while giving developers additional tools and functionality to create a more intuitive and integrated XML authoring environment. www.softquad.com
Category: Content technology news (Page 553 of 641)
Curated information technology news for content technology, computing, and digital experience professionals. News items are edited to remove hype, unhelpful jargon, iffy statements, and quotes, to create a short summary — mostly limited to 200 words — of the important facts with a link back to a useful source for more information. News items are published using the date of the original source here and in our weekly email newsletter.
We focus on product news, but also include selected company news such as mergers and acquisitions and meaningful partnerships. All news items are edited by one of our analysts under the NewsShark byline. See our Editorial Policy.
Note that we also publish news on X/Twitter. Follow us @gilbane
Sun Microsystems, Inc. announced the availability of the Java API for XML Parsing Optional Package (“JAXP” ), and the formation of an expert group for the XML Data Binding project. The expert group for this project, which is going through the Java Community Process, consists of Allaire, Ariba, BEA/Web Logic, Bluestone Software, AOL/Netscape, Extensibility, Fujitsu, IBM, Object Design, Oracle, webMethods and Sun Microsystems. Sun’s announcement of the Java technologies for XML provides universal application logic that complements XML. The Java 2 platform and XML are complementary technologies that each have common features critical for Web-based applications, including platform-independence, industry standards, extensible, reusable, and global language support. Together, the Java 2 platform and XML will allow enterprises to simplify and lower the cost of information sharing and exchange in Web applications. The JAXP Optional Package allows developers to easily build Java-based applications enabled by XML for e-commerce, enterprise application integration, and web publishing. An optional package is a standard Java API that is not part of the Java Runtime Environment but can be optionally added depending on specific application needs. JAXP is now in early access release and available free-of-charge at http://java.sun.com/xml. The final version of JAXP is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2000. The JAXP optional package provides basic functionality for reading, manipulating, and generating XML documents through pure Java APIs. Seamlessly integrated with the Java 2 platform, JAXP provides a standard way for a Java platform-based application to plug in any XML-conformant parser. While the reference implementation uses Sun’s experimental high performing Java Project X as its default XML parser, the software’s pluggable architecture allows any XML- conformant parser to be used, such as the xml.apache.org XML parser, code named Xerces. (For information on this community project to which Sun donated technology visit www.apache.org) Sun also announced the expert group of industry leaders within the JCP that is working to create XML Data Binding software for the Java 2 platform. This project, code-named Project Adelard, will enable developers to deliver and maintain high-performance XML-enabled applications with a minimum of development effort. Project Adelard provides a two-way mapping between XML documents and Java-based objects along with a schema compiler tool. The compiler will automatically generate Java classes from XML schemas without requiring developers to write any complex parsing code. In addition, the compiler will contain automatic error and validity of checking of XML messages, helping to ensure that only valid, error-free messages are accepted and processed by a system. As with JAXP, Project Adelard is being developed through the JCP. Sun is working with the W3C XML Schema Group and other standards consortia, such as OASIS and XML.org. The specification and reference implementation for Project Adelard are under development by the expert group. Project Adelard will be available during the second quarter of 2000. www.sun.com
Sun Microsystems, Inc. announced that its Forte Fusion enterprise application integration (EAI) suite will feature enhanced support for XML and Java-based technologies that have emerged as the foundation for standards-based e-commerce solutions. Fusion uses an XML-based integration backbone and XSL for data integration. In addition, Sun announced that Forte Fusion will be enhanced to support Java technology-based adapters and Sun’s Java Message Queue 1.0 enterprise messaging software, giving customers increased access to open technologies to dot-com their businesses. The Fusion XSLT Data Transformation Engine employs XSLT to solve the core data transformation problem at the heart of any EAI solution. To support the development of XSLT rules, the Fusion Workshop for XSLT provides a graphical interactive workshop for authoring and testing. These XSLT capabilities will be available in the beta release of Forte Fusion 2.0 scheduled for the first quarter of 2000. During 2000, Forte Fusion will be enhanced to support Sun’s Java Message Queue 1.0 enterprise messaging software as a transport for its XML-based data integration backbone. Within Forte Fusion, messaging services are used to link separate applications into the Fusion backbone, which in turn provides services for data transformation and connectivity into the Fusion Business Process Engine. Fusion’s Java Message Queue support will complement existing support for HTTP and IBM’s MQSeries. In the Forte Fusion architecture, adapters are application wrappers whose sole purpose is to XML-enable applications that are not equipped with native XML support. Adapters connect to the Fusion backbone through a message transport, while the backbone provides semantic integration through the transformation of XML with XSL rules. This approach ensures that adapters are lightweight, quick to develop and reusable as general-purpose XML adapters. www.forte.com/product/fusion
Microsoft Corp. announced availability of the BizTalk Framework Document Specification 1.0, an updated component of the framework based on XML schemas and industry standards for sharing information. Microsoft submitted the BizTalk Framework Document Specification 1.0 to the BizTalk Steering Committee – composed of vendors, standards bodies and corporate customers – for review in September. The committee finalized and published the document specifications on the BizTalk.Org Web site (www.biztalk.org). Any individual or organization can access the specifications and use them to implement e-commerce and application integration solutions using the BizTalk Framework. With the final version of the specification now available, corporate developers and independent software developers can immediately embark on the development of BizTalk-compatible applications. The BizTalk Steering Committee provides guidance on the future direction of the BizTalk Framework and includes American Petroleum Institute, Ariba Inc., The Baan Co., The Boeing Co., Clarus Corp., CommerceOne Inc., Concur Technologies Inc., Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA), J.D. Edwards & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., Microsoft, New Era of Networks (NEON), The Open Applications Group (OAG), PeopleSoft Inc., Pivotal Corp., RosettaNet and SAP AG. www.microsoft.com/industry/biztalk
Architag International Corporation announced the alpha release of their first software product, xRay, for Microsoft Windows operating systems. The product is a real-time, validating XML editor designed to provide fast creating, viewing and editing of XML documents. xRay is a real-time editor. On every keystroke, the editor validates the XML document and displays errors in a window on the screen. Multiple windows can be displayed, each containing its own XML document. xRay works with well-formed XML documents, but also validates according to different types of schemas. The xRay XML Editor is currently in a limited alpha testing release. Developers who are interested in participating in the test can contact Architag at xray-alpha@architag.com
Xyvision Enterprise Solutions Inc. previewed its new content management application, Content@ (pronounced Contenta) this week. Content@ provides content management for users of Microsoft Word by storing and managing Word document components in a dynamic database repository. Content@ offers integrated workflow, meta-data support, full-text search and facilitates the re-use of document components for web, print, and other media. Content@ enables groups of users to simultaneously collaborate on multiple parts of the same Word document, store components of the document in a variety of formats, and recombine these components into customized deliverables in web or print format. With Content@, users can store complete Word files or components of Word files in DOC, RTF, XML or HTML format. This content can include text, spreadsheets, graphics, presentations, sound, and video. Content@ preserves the normal editorial environment within Word and adds a Content@ menu that provides access to the content repository. Content@ is available now for early adopters, with release scheduled for February 2000. Basic systems, including 10 user seats, Content@ server, and COM API start around $50,000. Content@ server runs on Windows NT and Sun Solaris with clients on Windows 98 and NT. Content@ uses Oracle and other databases and supports Word 97 and Word 2000. www.xyenterprise.com
Xyvision Enterprise Solutions Inc. announced the latest version of its content and document management software, Parlance Content Manager. This new version builds upon Parlance’s proven component management functionality by extending its application development environment with COM and JAVA APIs and enhanced support for XML. Additionally, its redesigned user interface offers greater ease of use of the content repository and integrated tools. Parlance 3.0 includes support for dynamic XML import, use, and delivery. Users can automatically load XML encoded data from an editor, legacy data system, or other source and, based on content, document type definition or schema, derive a configuration from the data source. Parlance Content Manager comes with a new API)based on Microsoft COM for the Windows NT version of the product. A subsequent UNIX release will offer the same API functionality in JAVA. Parlance Content Manager 3.0 is scheduled to ship in March 2000. The Parlance server runs on Windows NT, Sun Solaris, and IBM AIX with clients on Windows 98, NT, and Unix. Parlance Content Manager uses Oracle and other databases and integrates with Arbortext Adept Editor, Adobe FrameMaker+SGML, and other application tools. A basic Parlance system, including server, API, dynamic XML import, and a 10 user license starts at about $50,000. www.xyenterprise.com
Personic Inc. announced its participation in the HR-XML Consortium. The HR-XML Consortium is a newly formed, independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of standardized, human-resources-related XML vocabularies for enabling e-commerce and the automation of inter-company exchanges of human resources data.Using industry-standard XML vocabularies, one company is able to transact with countless other companies without needing to design, engineer, and install a multitude of separate interchange mechanisms. As a member of the HR-XML Consortium, Personic is developing technology to enable its core recruiting and hiring software to use XML. Personic is incorporating this communications technology into its core applications. Personic also partners with other organizations within the HR-XML Consortium to derive HR-XML (Human Resources Extensible Markup Language) standards. The HR-XML language provides standard definitions of data elements needed for an application to perform standardized Human Resources transactions and communicate with other applications using HR-XML. Through the HR-XML Consortium, more than 20 software and services suppliers have already endorsed three XML schemas designed to enable a new generation of Web-based workforce management and recruiting services that are based on open, e-commerce models and deliver employers greater ROI for their staffing expenditures. This will give HR and staffing vendors new opportunities for growth and profit. With a common medium of exchange, customers need not expend extra energy maintaining and updating proprietary interfaces. They save on costs and can dramatically reduce integration/maintenance efforts. HR-XML standardization shortens time for everyone involved in the recruiting and hiring process. www.personic.com
Subscribe to the Gilbane Advisor
